Many people gather to watch the solar eclipse, but these cultures are doing something different

CNN
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For many people, the upcoming total solar eclipse is a joyous and celebratory occasion.

Countless stargazers are gearing up to witness this rare cosmological wonder as it crosses Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8th. In addition to the 30 million or so people who live along the path, millions more are expected to travel in search of a better view. Crowds gather at solar eclipse viewing parties to cheer as the moon passes between Earth and the sun, and hundreds of couples plan to tie the knot to commemorate the phenomenon.

However, in other cultures and faith traditions, solar eclipses are less spectacular and more spiritual. Some people take time to meditate and think about the universe, while others participate in rituals to ward off negative energies.

Here’s how some religions and cultures view this celestial event.

Some Hindus, especially those with southern Indian roots, consider solar eclipses to be bad omens, said Sangeetha Koushik, a Hindu chaplain and spiritual life advisor at New York University. In Vedic astrology, a solar eclipse occurs when the shadow planet Rahu engulfs the Sun.

One interpretation of the Hindu scriptures, Koushik explains, refers to an episode known as the churning of the ocean that produces the nectar of immortality. Lord Vishnu, one of the main gods of Hinduism, transforms into the female incarnation Mohini and dispenses nectar to the gods. However, the serpent demon Svarbhanu sits between the sun and the moon and obtains nectar under false pretenses.

When the sun and moon warn Vishnu of this deception, Vishnu beheads the demon. His head becomes Rahu and his body becomes Ketu. Rahu who drinks the nectar becomes immortal and Ketu dies. In a fit of anger, Rahu swallows the sun and moon and tries to cause a solar eclipse.

Some Hindus, who consider solar eclipses to be inauspicious, fast before the celestial event and take a fully clothed bath afterward to rid themselves of negative energy, Koushik said. . Meanwhile, some temples will be closed during the eclipse and offer special prayers.

However, Hinduism includes a wide range of spiritual beliefs, practices, and traditions, and not all Hindus view solar eclipses as negative. According to other Hindu legends, all his nine planets in Vedic astrology are said to reside within the belly of Lord Ganesha or the tail of Lord Hanuman.

“So if you are a Ganesha devotee or a Hanuman devotee, all these planetary influences disappear because God is there to save you,” Koushik says. “God is always there to take care of you and eradicate any problems you may have.”

Meanwhile, Koushiku is struggling with how to mark the upcoming solar eclipse.

“That doesn’t happen often, so I don’t know if it’s better to stay indoors,” she added. “I personally think it looks pretty cool, because I’m a big believer in Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman and God in general, so I might take a look at it.”

For many Muslims, the eclipse is a time for prayer and spiritual reflection, said Akif Aydin, president of the interfaith group Atlantic Institute SC.

According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad’s young son Ibrahim died on the day of a solar eclipse, and many of his followers at the time associated the phenomenon in the sky with death and sadness, Aydin said.

However, the prophet quickly refuted such ideas, declaring that solar eclipses were simply a sign from God and not a harbinger of life or death. Aydin said Prophet Muhammad encouraged his followers to remember and worship God during the eclipse and encouraged his disciples to pray together in mosques until the cosmic event ends.

“It’s a time to reconnect with God. It’s a time to remember God’s creation again,” he added.

Aydin said he and his wife, four children and nieces will be watching the eclipse from their backyard in South Carolina. When the sky darkens, he spreads a rug on the grass and bows his head in prayer.

In the eyes of some Christians, solar eclipses are a sign of the impending end times, the time when Jesus Christ will return to earth as prophesied in the Bible.

There are several New Testament accounts of the sky turning dark while Jesus was hanging on the cross, and some believers link this to a solar eclipse.

The passage from Matthew 27 says, “Darkness covered all the earth from noon until 3 p.m.” “About three o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Means: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

Celestial phenomena such as solar eclipses are often accompanied by end-time prophecies, but some authors and scholars point out that such prophecies are usually rooted in North American evangelical thinking about the apocalypse.

“However, while some passages in the Bible do link astronomical phenomena to ‘the end’ (Matthew 24:29, Joel 2:31), end-time prophets are It fails to explain why calculations often revolve around the United States,” the authors say. And the Rev. Andrea L. Robinson writes in Christianity Today:

“They further point out the fact that solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth about every 18 months, and that these solar phenomena have been associated with impending doom for thousands of years without any consequences. It ignores the fact that.”

While many towns and cities will be crowded with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse on Monday, it will be quieter on the Navajo Reservation.

Evelyn Bahe, program manager for the Diné Education Department in Window Rock, Ariz., said solar eclipses are a more solemn event in Navajo tradition. The term “Dine” that the Navajo people use to refer to themselves sees this celestial event as a time to show reverence for the sun and the earth.

“During the eclipse, we have to go back to our residences, close the curtains and be really quiet,” Bahe says. “We can’t eat during this time. We can’t sleep. We can’t drink water.”

Engaging in these activities during a solar eclipse is said to have a negative effect on a person and disturb their spiritual harmony, Bahe added. During previous eclipses, Navajo offices, parks and schools have been closed to honor the cosmic phenomenon.

Bahe said the Navajo people have different explanations for what happens during the eclipse. Some people think of a solar eclipse as the meeting of the sun and moon, while others think of it as the rebirth and renewal of celestial bodies.

“This is believed to be a time of sun and moon interaction,” Nancy C. Maryboy and David Begay of the Institute for Indigenous Education said in a statement on the Exploratorium’s website. .

“[Navajo elders]sit quietly in contemplation and recite traditional teachings about the origins of the sun and moon. These practices are based on a deep respect for the cosmic order.”

CNN correspondent Kristin Fisher contributed to this article.